Mozilla Buries Its Firefox OS Phones For Good

Mozilla has probably recognized its Firefox OS phones are not worth keeping alive anymore. I realized that when I reviewed one of its cheap, low-end smartphone couple of years back. It was a horrible experience for me. I still get goosebumps.

Mozilla even tried making high-end Firefox OS phone, but that too didn’t work well. There was no traction, no ecosystem around Firefox OS. Mozilla targeted the Firefox OS phones at emerging markets like India where smartphones are still out of the reach of the lower income groups. The one that I reviewed barely cost $35. It had no chance against Android, which has already made its way to low-end phones that cost as little as $80.

The Firefox OS itself is not being killed. It will continue to live on IoT devices. These devices need a lightweight OS like it. IoT could very well be the opportunity Mozilla was looking for. Let’s wait and watch how far it goes.